Mike Reilly and Nick Leddy play the same game and are also the best of friends.
On Thursday, New York Islanders defenseman Mike Reilly and St. Louis Blues defenseman Nick Leddy will go head-to-head for the second time since Reilly came to Long Island.
The two, who play a similar style given their mobility, have been the best of friends for quite some time.
So, it was a special moment when Reilly walked into Northwell Ice Center for the first time on Nov. 26 to see that he was given Leddy's old number two.
"I walked in, I dropped my bag off, and I already had number two," Reilly said a few days after being claimed off waivers by the Florida Panthers. "So, that's about all I know. But I knew it was my best buddy's old number in Leddy, so it's just funny. I gave him a text yesterday after I found out."
Although Reilly was born in Chicago, he grew up in Chanhassen, Minnesota, eventually playing for Leddy's alma mater, the University of Minnesota.
The two missed each other by three years, with Leddy 33 and Reilly 31. But the two trained in the summers together and stayed close as their careers progressed.
The two have played against one another 14 times in the NHL, with Reilly up 10-4 in meetings during the regular season. In their final meeting of the season last February, Reilly and the Islanders fell 4-0 to Leddy and the Blues.
Leddy skated in 518 games with the Islanders, tallying 45 goals and 198 assists for 143 points, helping them to six playoff berths over his seven seasons with the club.
In the summer of 2021, with the Islanders needing to clear cap space, the Islanders traded Leddy to the Detroit Red Wings for Richard Panik before Detroit flipped him to the Blues at the 2022 NHL Trade Deadline.
After a strong first stint in Blue & Orange, with six goals and 18 assists for 24 points in 59 games, the Islanders brought Reilly back on a one-year deal worth $1.25 million.
Through the opening three games this season, Reilly has no points with five shots on goal, sitting as a +3.
Through four games, Leddy is pointless, sitting at a -3.